Tag Archive for: books

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Today’s Must-read – The Slap

The Slapby Christos Tsiolkas

At a suburban barbecue, a man slaps a child who is not his own. This event has a shocking ricochet effect on a group of people, mostly friends, who are directly or indirectly influenced by the event. In this remarkable novel, Christos Tsiolkas turns his unflinching and all-seeing eye on to that which connects us all: the modern family and domestic life in the twenty-first century. The Slap is told from the points of view of eight people who were present at the barbecue. The slap and its consequences force them all to question their own families and the way they live, their expectations, beliefs and desires. What unfolds is a powerful, haunting novel about love, sex and marriage, parenting and children, and the fury and intensity - all the passions and conflicting beliefs - that family can arouse.

Image: View an image of author Christos Tsiolkas

PDF Download: Read an excerpt from The Slap
Warning PDF contains language which could offend.
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Latest must-read – A fraction of the whole

SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2008

A Fraction of the whole

by Steve Tolz

fraction_whole“A Fraction of the Whole is that rarest of long books–utterly worth it…The story starts in a prison riot and ends on a plane, and there is not one forgettable episode in between…It reads like Mark Twain with access to an intercontinental Airbus…This book moves; it bucks and rocks in a world that feels more than a hemisphere away…So comically dark and inviting that you have no choice but to step into its icy wake.” —Esquire
“Rollicking…laugh-out-loud funny.” —Entertainment Weekly
“A rich father-and-son story packed with incident, humor, and characters reminiscent of the styles of Charles Dickens and John Irving…Occasionally, a big, sprawling first novel fights its way into print with a flourish, at which point its ambition and the eccentricities of its ‘firstness’ can become its best marketing tools. Such is the case with A Fraction of the Whole, a book that is willfully misanthropic and very funny…like Irving, Toltz makes minor characters leap off the page…He’s a superb, disturbing phrasemaker…this long novel, which lives or dies in the brilliance of its writing, has a subtle, compelling structure

…A Fraction of the Whole soars like a rocket.” —Los Angeles Times

“Combines the hilarious high-low reference points of early Martin Amis with the annihilating punk inventiveness of Chuck Palahniuk.” —Best Life

Amazon

Voice Power : Using Your Voice to Captivate, Persuade, and Command Attention

 Ever wonder what makes us buy from a certain salesperson or prefer one TV news announcer over another? In each case, a
human voice is subtly captivating our ear and commanding our attention.

Like a Dress for Success for the speaking voice, this unique self-help book shows how to use "voice strategy" to succeed.

"Ever wonder what makes us buy from a certain salesperson or prefer one TV news announcer over another? In each case, a human voice is subtly captivating our ear an commanding our attention.

Now celebrity voice coach Renee Grant-Williams reveals the trade secrets behind those persuasive voices and shows readers how to apply positive vocal techniques to business and personal situations. Much more than a guide to proper breathing or voice projection, this is a life-altering ""owner's manual"" to unleashing and directing the powers of communication within one's speaking voice. By exploring the rich connections between singing and speaking, Grant-Williams helps readers:

* Evaluate their ""VoicePower"" quotients

* Literally breathe new life into their voices

* Tap the amazing power of consonants--and silence

* Deliver sales pitches virtually guaranteed to sell

* Turn a voice mail message (incoming or outgoing) into a personal calling card

* Become more confident, persuasive presenters and public speakers."

About the Author

Renee Grant-Williams (Nashville, TN) is a well-known voice coach whose clients include U.S. senators, attorneys, salespeople, and vocalists such as Faith Hill and Randy Travis.

You can buy the book from

Amazon   or  Book Depository

These are my affiliate links, that I provide only for the books I recommend.

Thanks for clicking through, the few extra cents that I earn are always welcome!

 

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Book – Finnikin of the rock

fnnikin of the Rock

by Melina Marchetta

Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince Balthazar, is alive.

Read an extract, Author's website, Audio reading, Author video, Teacher Notes

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Latest book highlighted on the Pivotal Network – Working the room

working_room

How to Move People to Action through Audience-Centered Speaking

by Nick Morgan

Give Powerful Speeches to Audiences of Five or Five Hundred

Through entertaining and insightful examples, Morgan illustrates a practical, three-part process—focusing on content development, rehearsal, and delivery—geared toward engaging an audience on every level: emotional, intellectual, and physical. more …

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First Grader Spots Dinosaur Mistake in School Library Book

First Grader Spots Dinosaur Mistake in School Library Book
Need to know something about dinosaurs? Ask expert Emilio Lemeni, a first grader at the Rosa Parks Elementary School in Woodbridge, VA.

The six-year-old recently checked out the book Scutellosaurus and Other Small Dinosaurs (Picture Window, 2006) from his school library and read it at home with his mother. He soon realized something was terribly wrong—and it had to do with the information on page 18 about the vicious little hunter, the Bambiraptor, which was equipped with sharp teeth and deadly claws. more » » »

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Today’s Must-read – The Lost Dog

lost_dogThe Lost Dog

by Michelle de Kretser De Kretser

(The Hamilton Case) presents an intimate and subtle look at Tom Loxley, a well-intentioned but solipsistic Henry James scholar and childless divorcé, as he searches for his missing dog in the Australian bush. While the overarching story follows Tom's search during a little over a week in November 2001, flashbacks reveal Tom's infatuation with Nelly Zhang, an artist tainted by scandal—from her controversial paintings to the disappearance and presumed murder of her husband, Felix, a bond trader who got into some shady dealings. As Tom puts the finishing touches on his book about James and the uncanny and searches for his dog, de Kretser fleshes out Tom's obsession with Nelly—from the connection he feels to her incendiary paintings (one exhibition was dubbed Nelly's Nasties in the press) to the sleuthing about her past that he's done under scholarly pretences. Things progress rapidly, with a few unexpected turns thrown in as Tom and Nelly get together, the murky circumstances surrounding Felix's disappearance are (somewhat) cleared up and the matter of the missing dog is settled. De Kretser's unadorned, direct sentences illustrate her characters' flaws and desires, and she does an admirable job of illuminating how life and art overlap in the 21st century.

Amazon

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Rare Harry Potter book fetches $19,000 at auction

A first-edition Harry Potter book was sold for about $19,000, according to an auction house in Dallas, Texas.

Normal copies of the Harry Potter books go for under $20, unlike the autographed first edition that sold for $19,000.

Normal copies of the Harry Potter books go for under $20, unlike the autographed first edition that sold for $19,000.

The soft-cover book was one of 200 copies printed and is a rarity compared with later editions of the popular series that were printed in the millions, the Heritage Auction Galleries said.

more...

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Book – Relational Presentation

I have been reading this book:  Relational Presentation by Robert A. Lane and Chantal Bosse

What a bad move that was!

Because this is a book to do, not a book to read.

If you want to move beyond bullet points, then this is where you can start.  This is the “how-to”.  The tone of the book is constantly  encouraging and it will give you the practical details at the level you need, whether you are a beginner, or already a user.  I enjoyed the detail on creating effects -  the information is there for you to use powerpoint to create stunning rich media effects.

Today’s Must-Read – Under a Blood Red Sky

blood_red Under a Blood Red Sky

by Kate Furnivall

Davinsky Labour Camp, Siberia, 1933: Sofia Morozova knows she has to escape. Only two things have sustained her through the bitter cold, aching hunger and hard labour: the prospect of one day walking free; and the stories told by her friend Anna, beguiling tales of a charmed upbringing in Petrograd ? and of Anna's fervent love for a passionate revolutionary, Vasily. So when Anna falls gravely ill, Sofia makes a promise to escape the camp and find Vasily: to chase the memory that has for so long spun hope in both their hearts. But Sofia knows that times have changed. Russia, gripped by the iron fist of Communism, is no longer the country of her friend's childhood. Her perilous search takes her from industrial factories to remote villages, where she discovers a web of secrecy and lies, but also bonds of courage and loyalty ? and an overwhelming love that threatens her promise to Anna

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